Slag ladle



Sept. 25, 1962 ANDERSON 3,055,316

SLAG LADLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 24, 1959 NEMNUW m N \J) U: ENG NU @U: E i N E g Q SLAG LADLE Filed Nov. 24, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS 8. l/VDEJQSO/V JdA/ES MA/U/Yflfll wjew Arron/v5) I United States Patent $555,316 SLAG LADLE Oscar B. Anderson, Hobart, and Earnes M. Mundell, Gary, lndn, assignors to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Nov. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 855,199 7 Claims. (Cl. 105-270) This invention relates to slag handling apparatus for transferring molten slag from a blast furnace or open hearth to a slag dump. More particularly, it relates to a cinder pot or ladle and a mounting therefor on a ladle car that embody improvements directed to the end of increasing the operating life of the ladle. In a manner to be described, such improvements eliminate the trunnion ring customarily used in conventional slag handling apparatus as a support for the cinder ladle.

Trunnion rings commonly employed to support cinder ladles on ladle cars are large circular castings in which the cinder pot is removably received. Trunnions projecting from diametrically opposite points on the trunnion ring serve to support both the ring and ladle on the ladle car, which is provided with fluid pressure motors that operate to rotate gears keyed to the trunnions over a gear rack on the ladle car to tilt the trunnion ring and the ladle supported thereby. By reason of its size, the trunnion ring prevents uniform dissipation of heat from the ladle and this condition creates thermal stresses that cause warping and bulging of the ladle above and below the trunnion ring, and this eventually results in the formation of cracks in the ladle wall that render it unfit in a short period of time for further use. Bulging of the ladle below the trunnion ring, moreover, occasionally results in stretching of the ladle wall to an extent that the ladle bottom makes contact with the frame of the ladle car thereby preventing the ladle from being tilted.

I In addition to the above disadvantages by reason of conventional trunnion rings interfering with the uniform dissipation of heat through the ladle wall, the trunnion rings after being in service for sometime and subjected to the heat and weight of the ladle will sag to an extent that they do not make good contact with the ladle supporting brackets. Supporting contact between the trunnion ring and the ladle brackets is also affected by bulging of the lower portion of the ladle wall. This results in a sloppy fit between the ladle and trunnion ring and necessitates custom fitting operations in the field.

One of the principal objects of this invention, as indicated above, is to provide an improved ladle and ladle car construction that eliminate the conventional trunnion ring and increase the working life of the ladle. To this end, the ladle of this invention is integrally constructed and is provided with reinforced mounting brackets or plates at diametrically opposed points. In a manner to be described, the ladle mounting plates are detachably connected to similar mounting plates on trunnions that are supported for rolling movement on the ladle car and are operated by conventional gear-rack mechanism com monly provided on ladle cars for this purpose.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

In the drawings, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View showing an assembly of a ladle car and a cinder ladle that is constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the ladle shown in FIGURE 1 in which a part thereof is broken away and shown in vertical section;

FIGURE 3 is a partial plan and sectional view of the ladle along the line III--III of 'FIGURE 2;

Patented Sept. 25, 1962 FIGURE 4 is an elevational view looking from the right of FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 5 and 6 are respectively side and end elevational views of one of the trunnions of this invention;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged and fragmentary sectional View taken centrally of one of the trunnions showing it in assembled position with respect to a mounting plate on the cinder ladle and the ladle car; and

FIGURE 8 is an end elevational view looking from the right of FIGURE 7.

As shown in FIGURES 2-4 of the drawings, the ladle 1 is an integral casting of conventional conical shape that has a concave bottom 2, a circular rim 3 about its upper edge, and a frusto-conical wall 4 extending between the bottom 2 and rim 3. In accordance with the principles of this invention, the outer surface of the ladle is provided with a pair of integrally cast parallel flanges 5 that are spaced laterally equal distances with respect to a diameter of the ladle. As best shown in FIGURE 2, the upper portions 6 of the flange outer edges extend vertically downwardly from the rim 3 to a point 7 that is below the center of gravity of the ladle, and the lower portions 8 of the flange outer edges extend inwardly over the ladle bottom 2. The flanges 5 act as a double beam for supporting the ladle 11 on a ladle car in a manner to be described.

A pair of mounting plates 9 are arranged in diametrically opposed positions with respect to ladle 1 respectively extending transversely of the flanges 5 and preferably cast integrally therewith. The plates 9 are rectangular in shape and are provided with bolt holes 10 about their respective peripheries and have surfaces 11 that face outwardly relative to each other. The surfaces 11 are provided with intersecting key-way slots 12 and 13 for a purpose to be described.

A horizontal compression beam 15 is cast integrally around the ladle and has outwardly flaring enlarged end portions 16 (FIGURE 3) that join with and reinforce the mounting plates 9 and the flange beams 5. Vertically extending ribs 17 are arranged in circumferentially spaced positions along the portions 18 of the ladle wall 4 that are arranged outwardly with respect to the flanges 5. The ribs 17 intersect with the compression ring '15, which is provided with air circulation openings '19 between adjacent ribs 17, and similar openings 29 in the enlarged ends 16 thereof for a purpose to be described.

The ladle 1 is supported for tilting movement on a ladle car 25 as shown in FIGURE 1 by a pair of trunnions 26. Each of the trunnions 26, with reference to FIGURES 5 and 6, comprises a rectangular mounting plate 27 which is provided with a plurality of bolt holes 28 about its periphery and intersecting key-way slots 29 and 30 on one surface 31 thereof, and an axially aligned tread wheel 32 and stub-shaft 33 extending outwardly from the opposite surface 34 thereof.

The ladle car 25 is conventionally constructed and is provided with longitudinally aligned and spaced supporting columns 35 (FIGURE 1), which respectively have roll trackways 36 and gear racks 37 on the upper ends thereof as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. The trackways 36 furnish a support on which the tread wheels 32 of the trunnions 26 have rolling engagement and the gear racks 37 have meshing engagement with gear wheels 38 keyed on the trunnion stub-shafts 33. A crank-pin 39 on each gear wheel 38 is adapted for connection to a piston rod (not shown) actuated by a fluid pressure motor (not shown) constituting part of the conventional operating mechanism for rotating conventional trunnion rings.

The trunnions 26 are assembled on the ladle by placing the mounting plates 27 with their surfaces 31 facing inwardly relative to each other and in abutting engagement with the outwardly facing surfaces 11 on the ladle mounting plates 9 and with the bolt holes 10-28 and the key-way slots 13-29 and 12-30 aligned. Bolts 40 are then applied to the aligned bolt holes 10-28 to hold the trunnion plates 27 in position on the ladle plates 9. After this key bars 41 and 42 are inserted in the aligned keyway slots 1230 and 1329, and the bolts 40 are then tightened to secure the trunnions 26 to the ladle mounting plates 9. The key bars 41 and 42 relieve the fastening bolts 40 of shearing stresses that are encountered when the trunnions 26 are operated to tilt the ladge 1. After assembly of the trunnions 26 on the ladle in this manner, the gear wheels 38 are fitted on the trunnion shafts 33 and keyed in place. The ladle assembly thus completed on the ground is then lifted and placed on the ladle car 25 with the tread wheels 32 and the gears 38 in supporting engagement respectively with the roll trackways 36 and gear racks 37 on the upper ends of the ladle car supporting columns 35.

When thus assembled, it will be apparent that the ladle plates 9 constitute lugs by which the ladle 1 is supported on the trunnion plates 27. Attention is particularly directed to the fact that the parallel beams 5 and the horizontal beam form a supporting framework, in the nature of a sling, which supports the ladle 1 on the lugs or ladle plates 9. In addition, it will be noted that the trunnions 26, by reason of their detachable connection with the ladle plates 9, need not be replaced when replacement of a ladle 1 is required.

In operation, when molten slag is poured into the ladle 1, heat is transmitted through the ladle wall 4 to the adjacent air, which being heated rises along the outer surface of the ladle wall between the reinforcing rib members '17 and upwardly through the openings 19 in the horizontal beam 15. In a similar manner, air between the flanges 15 upon being heated rises through the openings in the horizontal beam 15. Since there is a substantially unobstructed path through the openings 19 and 20 for the rising air, uniform cooling of the ladle wall 4 is obtained. Thermal stresses that would otherwise cause warping or bulging of the ladle Wall are eliminated and the useful life of the ladle is thereby increased.

While one embodiment of our invention has been shown and described it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A slag handling cinder ladle of integral construction comprising a conically shaped body, a beam structure integral with said body, said beam structure being arranged in a vertical plane and extending over the outer surface of said body between points on opposite sides thereof, and a pair of mounting brackets secured to said beam structure adjacent said points and facing outwardly in opposite directions therefrom, said beam structure furnishing a sling support for saidladle on said mounting brackets.

2. A slag handling cinder ladle of integral construction comprising a conically shaped body, a beam structure integral with said body, said beam structure being arranged in a vertical plane and extending over the outer surface of said body between points on opposite sides thereof, a pair of mounting brackets secured to said beam structure adjacent said points and facing outwardly in opposite directions therefrom, said beam structure furnishing a sling support for said ladle on said mounting brackets, and trunnion means supporting said ladle for tilting movement comprising a pair of trunnions respectively having detachable connections with said brackets.

3. A slag handling cinder ladle of integral construction comprising a conically shaped body, a pair of paralley flanges arranged in vertical planes spaced laterally equal distances with respect to a vertical diametral plane of said ladle, said flanges forming a beam structure in tegral with and extending over the outer surface of said body between points on opposite sides thereof, and a pair of mounting brackets extending transversely with respect to and integrally connected with said flanges, said mounting brackets being arranged adjacent said points and facing outwardly in opposite directions therefrom, said beam structure furnishing a sling support for said ladle on said mounting brackets.

4. A ladle as defined in claim 3 characterized by said beam structure further including a horizontal flange around and integral with the outer surface of said body and having integral intersecting connections with said parallel flanges and said mounting brackets.

5. A ladle as defined in claim 4 characterized by the provision of vertically extending rib flanges arranged in circumferentially spaced positions about and integral with the outer surface of said body and having integral intersecting connections with said horizontal flange, said horizontal flange having air circulating openings in the portions thereof between said vertical rib flanges and said parallel beam flanges.

6. A slag ladle comprising a conically shaped body, a horizontal flange integral with said body and extending around its outer surface in a position intermediate its upper and lower ends, a pair of parallel vertical flanges integral with said body and extending over its outer surface between points on opposite sides thereof, said vertical flanges being spaced laterally equal distances with respect to a vertical diametral plane of said body and having intersecting integral connections with said horizontal flange, said horizontal flange having a pair of openings therein respectively arranged in the spaces between saidv vertical flanges on opposite sides of said body and providing for the flow of cooling air upwardly over the outer surface of said body between said vertical flanges, and a pair of mounting brackets respectively having integral connections with said horizontal and vertical flanges adjacent their said intersecting integral connections, said horizontal and vertical flanges forming a beam structure for supporting said body from said mounting brackets.

7. A ladle as defined in claim 6 characterized by said body having integral and vertically extending rib flanges in circumferentially spaced positions about the portions of the outer surface of said body outwardly of said vertical flanges, each of said rib flanges having an integral intersecting connection with said horizontal flange, and said horizontal flange having openings therein between adjacent pairs of said rib flanges providing for the circulation of air upwardly over the surface of said body between adjacent pairs of said rib flanges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 57,771 Roach Sept. 4, 1866 631,071 Gorman Aug. 15, 1899 652,198 Stewart June 19, 1900 1,778,619 Allen Oct. 14, 1930 1,890,150 Giese Dec. 6, 1932 2,047,473 Howat July 14, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 427,911 France June 9, 1911 

